STEPHANOPOULOS: Good morning, everyone. We have to begin today
with some news that has hit close to home for all of us here at
ABC. Our "World News Tonight" co-anchor Bob Woodruff and his
cameraman Doug Vogt were reporting today from Taji, Iraq, when
their convoy was hit by an IED.

Both are in serious condition, and they've been medevaced to a
U.S. military hospital in Iraq, where they are now receiving
treatment. I'm now joined here in the studio by our White House
correspondent, Martha Raddatz, who, of course, has also covered the
Pentagon for years. And you've been talking to the military this
morning. What more do we know?

RADDATZ: Bob and Doug were in a convoy, and they were with U.S.
military as well from the 4th Infantry Division, but they were with
Iraqi security forces. As you know, the U.S. military is training
Iraqi security forces. Bob and Doug were apparently with the 4th
Infantry Division in an up-armored humvee and wanted instead to go
in a vehicle with the Iraqi military forces.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Much softer target.

RADDATZ: Much softer target. It was a mechanized vehicle. At
least it wasn't one of the pickup trucks which they usually drive
around in. They were in the lead vehicle and they were up in the
hatch, so they were exposed. They did have all of their body armor
on. They had helmets on. They had eye protection. But the IED went
off, the improvised explosive device.

They were both immediately injured, taken away. They have
shrapnel wounds. Both apparently have shrapnel wounds to the head.
They were first transferred to the green zone, the international
zone. Their medical condition -- they were stabilized. Then they
were flown by helicopter to Balad. Balad is north of Baghdad.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And that is the best military hospital in Iraq.

RADDATZ: That's a very good military hospital in Iraq, and Bob
is currently undergoing surgery. This happened several hours ago.
Immediately medevaced, again, both stabilized. Bob is in surgery.
I'm not sure Doug is in surgery at this point.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And the initial reports, at least this morning,
were that after the IED went off, there was also some gunfire.

RADDATZ: Again, some of the reports I've gotten from people over
there, as you know, these things change. Initial reports are
sometimes wrong. But the initial reports were that they hit an
improvised explosive device, and then that was followed up by small
arms fire. This is very common over there now. These attacks are
planned, and this is a secondary attack. Sometimes when medical
personnel come in, they'll have small arms fire following up on
that.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Training these Iraqi forces is the heart of the
U.S. strategy right now, so there's really no way to cover this
story without going out there.

RADDATZ: There's no way. And I've been, in fact, with Doug and
others when we have to go with the Iraqi military forces. If you're
going to cover the Iraqi military forces, you have to be with them.
You have to see how they live. I will tell you one thing, a few
months ago when I was there and we wanted to get into an Iraqi
pickup truck, one of the American soldiers said, you can't do that.
It's way too dangerous.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Because -- and we've actually seen. The
insurgents know this as well, so in recent weeks and in recent
months, that's been their target.

RADDATZ: It's become a primary target. It's a softer target, as
you know, but it is a primary target to attack these forces. There
have been hundreds and hundreds -- thousands, probably -- of Iraqi
security forces killed. Sometimes they're attacked by suicide
bombers, but they have become a primary target. It is very
dangerous business, training these troops for that reason alone.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And both Bob and Doug understood this. And as
you pointed out, they're not being hot dogs here. They were wearing
heavy...

RADDATZ: Not in any way. I have worked with Doug Vogt so many
times. He is no hot dog. Bob Woodruff would not take risks that
were -- without his body armor or anything else. They are both very
careful. Doug, as a matter of fact, when he was with Terry Moran a
few months ago, they hit a very small IED, and one of the Iraqi
forces was killed. Doug was also in that convoy, but he was in an
armored humvee at that time.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Martha, I know you'll be following this all
morning. Obviously, this is very tough news for all of us here at
ABC. It gives us a taste of what so many military families are
going through every day. Our hearts and our prayers go to Bob, his
wife, Lee, and their four kids, Doug's wife, Vivian, and their
three daughters. We're going to be praying for them. We hope you
will too. We'll be right back.